NEW YORK (WSVN) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made stops in the Northeast to promote tougher laws on crime. He spent Presidents’ Day in New York City on Staten Island and in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
The governor was invited to take part in several discussions on law and order, as well as policing.
“We back the blue, and we support their mission,” DeSantis said.
This all comes as speculation grows that the governor is gearing up to launch a bid for the White House and that these trips to other states are meant to test the waters as his national profile has grown in the past few years.
His message touts Florida’s successes.
“People have looked at Florida as the place to be in the past few years in our country,” he said. “We are the fastest growing state in the United States. Florida has led the country for many years now in net in migration. We are the number one state for economic freedom, number one state for new business formation number.”
DeSantis quickly turned to national and culture war issues.
“Number one state for education freedom,” DeSantis said. “We work really hard to make sure that we have a K-12 system that parents can have confidence in that you know as a parent you send your kid to a school in Florida, and that child will get an education, not a political indoctrination. They want to get things like gender ideology. We have stuff with critical theory where they’ll basically take a kid, comes in 6 years old, and they’ll say you’re white, you’re an oppressor.”
The visit did not go unnoticed.
New York City’s Democratic Mayor Eric Adams took aim at the governor’s controversial policies, tweeting, “Welcome to NYC, @GovRonDeSantis, a place where we don’t ban books, discriminate against our LGBTQ+ neighbors, use asylum seekers as props, or let the government stand between a woman and health care. We’re happy to teach you something about values while you’re here.”
“As much as I’m proud that Florida is doing well, I want the country to do well,” said DeSantis.
If the governor does announce his candidacy, he’d be stepping into a growing field of candidates after former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
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